Childhood Asthma Essay

Asthma is the leading cause of chronic illness in children and is responsible for nearly 10% of the Emergency Room visits for children <15 year of age. It occurs in as many as 10%-12% of children in the United States and is gradually growing. Asthma can begin at any age , but most children have their first symptoms by age five. Because Camp Wapiti is for children ages 8-13 exclusively, this report will focus primarily on childhood asthma.

Childhood asthma is a growing healthcare issue in the United States. It is a common childhood medical disorder that affects approximately 7.1 million children under the age of 18. It is estimated that 4.1 million of this population suffered from an asthma episode in 2011 (American Lung Association, [ALA], 2014). Interestingly, children make up less than 20% of the United States population; however, it estimated that 29 % of hospitalization discharges were contributed to children with asthma who are under the age of 15.

To better understand the impact of asthma, a brief overview of the causes (aetiology) and disease progression (pathophysiology) must be shown. As common as asthma is, not much is known about its aetiology, according to findings presented by Subbaroa, Mandhane and Sears (2009, pg. 181-187) in a review from the Canadian

Asthma is the most common chronic disease in children (Kahn and Boskey). Childhood asthma is when the lungs and airways become inflamed when something comes in contact to trigger it. There are different objects or activities to trigger a child’s asthma and if not treated appropriately it can cause an asthma attack. This disease can outbreak from a cold or any respiratory infection. Daily symptoms can interfere with a child’s asthma like a cold, sports, school, or play ("Childhood Asthma."). In the United States, it is estimated that approximately 5 million children under the age of 18 have this disease. In 1993 alone, asthma was the reason for almost 200,000 hospital stays and about 340 deaths under the age of 25 (Kahn and Boskey). Normally children will outgrow this disease by the time they

Asthma affects 1 in every 12 Americans. According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology, Asthma is affects “About 1 in 9 (11%) non-Hispanic blacks of all ages and about 1 in 6 (17%) of non-Hispanic black children had asthma in 2009, the highest rate among racial/ethnic groups.” As a mother of child with asthma, I know how scary it can be to deal with asthma attacks and learning how to treat the symptoms and minimize risk factors.

Asthma is a chronic condition affecting the respiratory system and has a considerable impact on both individuals and a population. Everybody is susceptible to asthma, some more than others, depending of a variety of factors including, age, sex, geographical location and income. Asthma is particularly prevalent in younger children and the elderly and while it can be fatal, most people have mild cases of asthma that are relatively easy to treat. The condition mainly impacts an individual’s physical ability to contribute to a community.

About 10% of American children have asthma (Thakur et al., 2013). It is vital to understand what determinants cause childhood asthma to understand even with a low percentage, why it is still present. According to Williams et al., asthma is a health outcome which is a major impact on American youth (Williams et al., 2009). This health outcome not only impacts them throughout the years of being a child, but it has the potential of creating more serious health problems in the future. And without knowing what the causes are, it increases the rate asthma among children and prevents treatments from being implemented. It needs to be addressed by using results from prior studies in order to show how much of a problem childhood asthma is but also in finding and understanding the other underlying

One health promotion on asthma is being able to create an asthma friendly home. I would suggest to the parents to following things: low-pile carpeting on staircase, fresh filtered air ventilation system, moisture-removing fans, HEPA filter vacuum, and walk-off doormats

The sign and symptoms of an asthma attack include coughing that worsens at night or early in the morning, shortness of breath, chest tightness or wheezing sounds that occurs when breathing. Some symptoms go away without no treatment. However, severe asthma attacks require immediate emergency care. There is no cure for asthma because the disease will always be present. Even if an individual feels well, there’s always the possibility of something triggering an Asthma attack.

Communication barriers exist between parent, school nurse, and healthcare provider. School staff feel unprepared for asthmatic attacks, especially since they are not told which students have a condition. No policies or protocols are in place to guide staff in what to do when a situation occurs. Staff are unsure when a student is responsible enough to be self-reliant. Limitations include, not having a representative sample from all the school districts. Also, only two healthcare providers answered questionnaires and they were from the same medical centers hosting study. In addition, participants were paid $30 for their time, which could influence who

I happen to not be one of those kids. Asthma doesn’t just affect you once, it affects you your whole life. I am a cheerleader and also in the band. There have been times that I have not been able to participate in my activities because I wasn't able to breathe. With the help of my great doctors, I am able to control my asthma as much as possible. By being persistent with my medication and managing my condition, I learned that persistence is the key to success. As long as I stay determined and persevere, I know I will overcome and conquer any challenge that comes my way, whether it be personal, academic, physical or

Discuss the prevalence of asthma in certain patient populations that you might see in primary care. Asthma is chronic airway inflammation disorder that is characterized by persistent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and non-productive cough, mainly at night and in the early morning. The inflammation of the airway results from physical, chemical, and pharmacologic stimulus, which causes bronchial hyper-responsiveness, constriction of the airways, edema of airway wall, and chronic airway remodeling (Cash, 2014). Asthma occurs at all ages, with about 50% of all cases developing during childhood and another 30% before age 40. In the United States, it is estimated that 25 million people have asthma and the prevalence continues to increase (McCance, & Huether, 2014). Previously, asthma was considered

In a report conducted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, (2011) on statistics from National Health Interview survey CDC concluded that people with asthma need to have access to health care and proper medications which they need to use. If combined with self-management skills and evidence-based interventions, that modify the environment to reduce or eliminate risk factors such as allergens and irritants, most people with asthma can be symptom-free (CDC, 2011).

Patients who are diagnosed with asthma more than likely, this disease will have some impact. For example; persistence coughing could deprive the individual sleep as well as the immediate family. As a result, family member might become stressed and unhappy. According to

Childhood asthma impacts scores of youngsters and their families. In fact, the bulk of kids develop respiratory illness before the age of